


R U Crazy?

by MyRegardstotheReader



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M, Possible Multiple Chapters, jerome's first day at arkham, murder friends, prize for reblog giveaway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-08 11:13:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5495096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyRegardstotheReader/pseuds/MyRegardstotheReader
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A prize for the wonderful KLBWRITING on tumblr. It's a one-shot, but might turn into more later on. Summary: Jerome's first day at Arkham seems like it will be the worst day. Until he makes a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [klbwriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/klbwriting/gifts).



“Jerome… Valeska?” The security guard sneered and Jerome nearly lost it there. But he had to keep his cool and he knew better. Destroying even the smallest shred of his pride was worth it if he was not beat senselessly in here. No protection, no where to run, he had to be smart if he wanted to survive. That was all together much harder than it sounded, as he was nearly shoved into a tiny room. 

“Be a good boy and wait here.” The guard slammed the barred door shut and Jerome huffed. He ought to show that man what he was worth. But he only stepped back, brewing and boiling his anger for a good enough time. Soon they would all see how much Jerome Valeska was worth.

“You are new.” A meek voice made him whirl around his eyebrows perked up. A girl, not much older than him, sat on the only bench within arkham’s ‘waiting room’ of sorts. He was waiting to be sorted. 

“You’re… not?” He asked back with a smirk.

“Five hundred and twenty two.” She murmured, her eyes glazed over. She wore her messy blonde and purple hair in a mess of a pony-tail, her lips were red but not from make-up. It was like she bruised them, chewing on them. 

“Well, that sucks.” Jerome snorted, stepping up closer to her. She instantly recoiled into herself, her nails clutching her legs close to her. That’s when he saw it. The dried blood on her fingers, caked on her nails and fingers. Peeling off like paint. 

“Sucking hard on your thumb can lead to tooth decay.” She murmured, her eyes still anywhere but him. 

“I had heard.” Jerome grinned. This girl was a wack-job… and a perfectly delicious wack-job. “What are you in for, doll-face?”

“Lizzie borden took an axe, lizzie borden gave three whacks. One to the head, one to the face, one for good measure… good measure… down the throat, down the throat it goes. It’s hard to swallow when your neck’s in two.” Her words were jumbled, like her brain. Jerome stepped slower, closer to her and knelt before her. Her skin looked ice-cold, and she trembled like a small mouse under the eye of a cat. 

“Is your name Lizzie?” Jerome asked with a grin. 

“No. Nope. Not at all.” Her eyes slid slowly to his. Then they were on his and he could see her warm honey eyes glisten with fear and wonder. That blond hair had streaks of lilac in it, and it looked like she hadn’t done it in a long time. Probably five hundred and twenty two days. 

“Hi… I’m Jerome.” He grinned wickedly. The girl’s lips twitched as her trembling slowly turned to stillness of her body and she nodded.

“Hi Jerome.” She whispered, her lips smooth as silk like her voice as she tested his name. Jerome like the sound of her repeating his name over, like soft silk and beautiful music to his ears. 

“What’s your name, Doll.”

“Oh, don’t ask her hard questions… the drugs they keep her on to keep her calm make it hard for her to think straight. Must of electrocuted the brains out of her too.” Jerome whirled around to a guard at the door. “Come on Baby, the warden's ready to punish you.”

That’s when the girl began to tremble and her fingers dug into her skin. “It’s like vinegar. It tastes sour and sounds just like it smells.”

Jerome looked to her. “What does?” he whispered. 

“Baby… not like when Jerome says doll-face.” She whispers back, like it’s a secret. The smirk on her lips was knowing as she caught his eye. Jerome smirked back as she slipped her fingers out, grazing them along his, just barely. Like a butterfly kissing his skin. Then she took her touch back, her eyes moving to the guard who stood impatiently at the door. “I’m crazy, not stupid.” 

Jerome’s lips grew wide as she pushed up onto her feet. Maybe Arkham would not be so bad after-all. As he watched doll-face waltz in a crooked manner towards the cage door, he sat down onto the bench she had once perched on. 

“I’ll get that name from you, doll-face.” He called out. Doll-face turned, her grin wicked, never looking to him but he could see it all the same. 

“When pigs fly.” She spoke, her riddles ever spilling from her mouth. 

“You’ll be calling me a god by the end of it.” Jerome answered, proud of his own wittiness. This made the guard roll his eyes, but Jerome was too happy to care. He had made a friend already… and when he made his big move, he’d make sure Doll-face was right there next to him.


	2. Chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jerome is still in isolation, but they do give him some time out to stretch his legs at lunch. Where he spends his meal in the ‘bad kids’ box, with Dollface and Old Geezer.

“Hey Dollface.” Jerome settled down onto the bench for lunch. It seemed only a certain amount of inmates were allowed in at the moment, or atleast, only the ones who weren’t going to explode in violence. Which is why Jerome was in the small lunch room with Dollface and another man who was chained up and blitzed out of his mind.

“Sorted but not invited to the tea party, I see.” The pale girl smiled as her plastic, dull, spork poked at the rather pathetic looking pile of potato salad on her plate. “Sugar helps the medicine go down.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He murmured as he looked to his own tray. “Speaking of medicine, what they got you on sweetcheeks?”

He liked the way she grinned, the crinkle around her eyes and lips lit up her face. But her fingers twitched and shook as she stabbed slowly into the potatos and tried to feed herself. It seemed she was failing to eat this whole time. Unable to get her food to her mouth, she shook so bad. Jerome sighed, a roll of his eyes as he put his hands on the table and cleared it. Landing on the other side, settling down onto the table with his tray, feet on the bench he looked down to her.

“Open your lips,” He winked, taking his spork and lifting a spoonful of food to her mouth. She looked up just enough in time to take his spork full and munch it happily. Her eyes travel up to him, those wicked amber eyes watched him as he took one sporkfull for himself then one for her. In silence he fed her, smug the whole time as he finished both their meals. Even dabbed her lips and cheeks with a napkin. Bare palms against the table behind him, he kept her eye contact. As if starting a staring contest with the near mute girl.

“Who is Jerome Valeska.” She blurted out, her head cocked to the side.

“That’s a loaded question.” He laughed. Then he looked to the room around them. Essentially the bad kids room. The ones thrown away from the general crowd. Jerome knew his was for he was new. Just a day old in Arkham, no friends, no anything. However, what in the world had dollface done to get in here? He reminded himself of the blood stained fingers she had yesterday.

“Like a loaded potato?” She asked, watching his lips twist up in glee. “Or like loaded gun?”

“Oh, I like the choices you give me.” Jerome cackled, twirling back up to his seated position. He pulled his legs under him as he sat on the table. Dollface put her elbows to the silver plated table and planted her chin on her palms. “Both, Jerome Valeska is… a mystery.” He teased with a wink.

Dollface narrowed her eyes on him, her lips trembling in attempt to keep from smiling. Then her eyes fell to the table. Jerome wanted her to keep smiling at him, make him the center of attention, but he knew that friends don’t push friends. Well… not yet.

“Nancy Drew is a Mystery.” She murmured.

“Is your name Nancy?” He piped up, catching a look she shot at his legs.

“Ninny Nancy is a bitch!” Dollface hissed with venom. Her hands trembled as she clawed onto her cheeks. Jerome reached out to touch her, but she only wretched her body halfway across the bench.

“Nancy a … friend of yours?” He sneered with wicked glee, getting to know something about Dollface. So… she did have a temper. Excellent. Jerome’s eyes twinkled as Dollface only shook her head. So vigorously, almost viciously. Ready to snap off her shoulders as those fingers slapped down to the table.

“Never! No… Don’t say. Can’t say. Unless you can say nice things, don’t say anything. Nice things, not Nancy. Can’t say nice things. Bitch.” The girl was almost foaming at the mouth. Deciding to tempt this conversation at another moment, storing the information in his brain, Jerome slid down on the table so he was lying across it, and infront of her. His face was about 10 inches from her and her honey stared right down at the table. Her jaw was tight.

“Well… then… not nancy… Dollface.” His lips curled up as she looked up slowly. Jaw unlocked, she looked at him blank, almost emotionless.

“Yes Jerome?” She answered, her lips barely moving. Her eyes looked all over his face, he liked to watch her explore.

“I look good in stripes, though… one day I’m going to be wearing suits and ties.” Jerome spoke lowly. The way her lips twitched slightly, the way she almost grinned as her eyes looked to his arms, clad in striped clothing. She matched him in her striped top and skirt, like all other females. It made her look like she were one color from translucent, it bleached her face completely.

“No one looks good in stripes.” She whispered, her eyes sparkled for a moment. “and I don’t know what I’m on.”

One moment of clarity before a guard came into the room. Jerome’s mouth fell open as Dollface slowly rose from the table. She looked down at him, and that’s all he needed to see. There was clarity, there was resilience, there was a spark in her. Jerome would see it again if he had to resort to violence. Because he knew the look in her eyes. The same one he wore as he washed his mother off his hands. The look of someone who had accepted what they’d done, and they were glad.

She wasn’t even called, but followed the guard out of the room anyway. Her lunch time was up, but Jerome still had some time left before he went back to isolation. The small things in life, he reminded himself. Twirling around on the table, he spotted the chained man and smirked to himself. Maybe a new friend?

Jerome slipped up on her barely considered a pair of slip ons, and skipped over to the table. Slipping down onto the bench across the man, he looked at the aged face. “Hey… I’m Jerome.”

“Skip along fairy sprite.” The male hissed. He was buff, Jerome would give him that, but the scars along his body spoke of how often he took a blow. Not smart enough to escape a fight, obviously.

“Tough guy, huh?” Jerome teased.

“Just because she tolerates your arrogance does not mean I will.” The man wasn’t even looking at Jerome. He looked at the wall just above his head, blinking slowly. He was glazed over, his voice low and gravely. But he still responded to all Jerome’s words. Interesting. Jerome grinned wildly.

“Oh, does she?”

“Baby doesn’t tolerate most, but don’t let it go to your head, ginger.” The man let his head lull to the side, almost as if the neck bone had snapped. Jerome pulled back, suspicious of the man now. “You’re the freshest face in here for a while, they’ll tear you apart like a pork chop.”

Jerome scowled. “Wanna bet?”

The man let out a howl of a laugh, which was only more unnerving as his head or eyes didn’t move, just his shoulder and mouth like a broken robot. The laugh didn’t meet his eyes at all.

“I’ll take that bet. When they release you into public space, I bet you loose your shit… bet you even piss yourself.” The man sneered.

“And if I survive piss-less?” Jerome snickered with pride in his shoulders, sitting up straight.

“If you survive, I’ll let you sit with the rest of us… when I’m out of solitary… of course.” The man rolled his head back then to the side. That’s when his eyes moved and they set on Jerome’s. They were unsettling how exact and direct they settled on him, and how fast they were to look his way.

“So then, old man… tell me… what did you and Dollface do to be put in solitary?” Jerome huffed, readjusting himself on the bench.

“I bit a guard’s finger off. Man put his hand in my face, I took the chance. Nothing special” Old Geezer grinned wickedly. “Baby clawed another inmate to shreds, took his eyes, broke his nose, and ripped out his teeth one by one with her tiny hands. Rumor is that the guards didn’t find her till she took all his teeth and eyelashes.”

There was a guard in the room again and they were collecting the oddly chilling man from the table. He was chained from shoulder to toe, and smirked at Jerome. “Welcome to Hell… Valeska.”

“Thanks.” Jerome chirped after the man. Who said that life at Arkham would be more boring than at the circus. Now he couldn’t wait to be back out in the general public.

“Valeska! Come on, lunch is over!”


	3. Chapter three

Chapter Three:

Jerome was let out for lunch once more and traveled to the bad kids happily. It was a simple routine, that the guards said wouldn’t last. Not that he liked isolation. It was long and mind numbing. Because for hours on end, he was able to stare at the walls, and just pout. No one to talk to, nothing to keep his attention, just his memories. All those ghosts coming to tease and mock him. His mother’s voice still at the back of his head, interrupting his sleep.

Was there truly no way to get away from that bitch? Jerome was close to snarling, but when he saw Dollface, he brightened up. Nearly skipping over with his tray, he flopped up onto the table as he had the other day. Feet on the bench, tray in his lap, he looked down at her. 

As always, she seemed off in her own world. Like she were asleep to the world, body in it’s own space. She trembled just enough to show as her spork hung like a limp noodle in her hand. “Old Geezer isn’t here?” Jerome interrupted her thoughts.

“He’s not old, 40 isn’t old. Says the magazines… media is a liar though, maybe he is old. How old is old?” She murmured. Her eyes were still off in the distance, staring at the walls. The medicine they gave her must be much more intense than his, because he kept his livelihood about him. 

“I thought he was old.” Jerome murmured, taking up some of the peas in his spork and offering it to her. Without looking at him, or moving really, she opened her lips, moving her chin towards him. Eyes still planted on the other wall. Jerome deposited her peas before taking his own. He repeated the motion with the plain chicken tenders they had served and watched as she ate, but still seemed in her own little world. 

“I like that name, for Old Geezer. Makes him seem wise. Like an owl in a tree. Rafiki almost, but instead of a baboon, he’s an asshole.” She spoke up and Jerome grinned. He munched on a tender she offered to him off her tray, nearly shoving a whole one in her mouth. Was it bad that he enjoyed her jumbled words and brain, it made all their conversations interesting. 

“Who is that?” Jerome nodded his chin at the only other person in the bad kid’s box. It was a female, strewn out on the bench, body almost in a crooked tree branch shape. 

“Little miss muffet, she sat on a tuffet. Except that tuffet was a razor. Sat her kids in a tub, dropped in a live wire. Sparks then toasted kids. Hanzel and Grettle like her cooking.” Dollface looked up to Jerome. “She’s not little anymore. Been here as long as old Geezer.” 

Jerome nodded, eyeing the girl. Then he turned his attention to Dollface. She seemed awake now, well aware of Jerome in her personal space, and didn’t flinch or move away. Only pushed her tray away and rested against the table. “Only five more days, only five more day, five, five,” She murmured.  
“Isolation got you down, Dollface?” Jerome spoke bemused, slipping down onto the bench beside her. Dollface lay the left side of her face on her arms so she could face him, he mimicked her body language. A wicked grin on his face, she let her face show a smile as her eyes drifted to the table. 

“He deserved it.” She murmured. “He had it coming, if you’d have been there, if you’d have seen it.” Jerome picked up his head, his jaw open.

“You’re a thespian,” He put his hand to his chest, almost in a mock offense as she brimmed brightly. If he had seen chicago a thousand times, he wondered how many times Dollface had. It had been a favorite of the circus, but also his mother. It was the only movie he could pop in or only play he could hum along to that she loved. Often when he was small they would watch it together. It was a safe thing for him, which was hard to find someone who thought the same way. Especially with it being about a play of murderers.

“No… but I wanted to be.” She whispered. “Shh, don’t tell anyone.” Her secret giggle, the soft look on her face made Jerome lay back down on the table with her. She smiled at him, her eyes clear and focused again. 

“Your secret is safe with me, Dollface.” He snickered. “As long as you don’t tell anyone that I love that one.”

She grinned widely like a cat. “Does this make us friends?”

“Officially… we should host a party.” Jerome laughed as she brimmed and nodded. 

“But for the cake, I need your name.” He added slyly, watching as her eyes narrowed playfully and she pursed her lips. Slowly she lifted her head off the table and looked down at him.

“When pigs fly.” She added again, cocking a platinum brow up at him. 

“Fine, then tell me… why purple?” He reached out, careful of her actual skin, and took up the ends of her long hair. It was down today, long and in thick locks, purple and platinum was faded and mixed throughout her hair. It came down to her elbows when she sat up straight.

“Purple is a color that doesn’t rhyme with anything.” She shrugged. “And orange looks bad on me.”

Jerome furrowed his brows as she grinned. “You should do green some time.” She bounced up from the table, sauntering past him.

“And why is that?” Now this he had to hear. She didn’t look back at him, only offered her arms to the guard with shackles for her to wear.   
“Because clowns have green hair, and you’re from the circus.”

Jerome sat up in a jerking movement as he realized something all too suddenly. He hadn’t told her where he came from. So how did she know. The way she marched after the guard, eyes glazed over and head down, made his blood boil. He knew the real Dollface, he had seen the real girl behind the haze and drugs, and she was not that malleable putty they shackled up and dragged along the halls.

“Miss Tuffet!” Jerome announced, watching the woman groan and sit up.

“I fucking hate that name.” She hissed. “What clown boy?”

“Who knows where I’m from?” He snarled. The woman, who looked like a stereotypical looney bin patient, rolled her eyes. Her long, matted hair hadn’t been brushed in what looked like days, her nails were long and dark, her eyes circled by dark purple marks. 

“Everyone knows now… the warden announced your joining the public on friday.” She rolled her eyes.

“How does Baby know that? Or you?”

“She didn’t tell you? She’s the warden’s daughter…” Jerome’s blood ran ice cold and his fists clenched real tight. “I know cause I got put in solitary this morning. Some wack-job tried to steal my pudding.”

“Oh… that’s nice.” Jerome hissed. Not sure why he felt betrayed, or why he felt protective either. Dollface… the warden’s daughter? That made things… his face lit up with evil glee as he looked to the table. That made things ten times more interesting. 

“And My name is Madeline. Not Muffet…” The woman huffed, rolling her eyes. “And Old Geezer is Rick.”

Jerome looked up, “I think Muffet does well for you.” He sassed, watching as the woman before him narrowed her eyes and slowly sank onto the bench.

“You’re going to get yourself killed.” She hissed under her breath, but he heard her clearly. Jerome felt the laugh tickle the back of his throat as he leaned forward over the table. That was two for two swearing he would get hurt. Oh this only made it more fun. If they wanted a piece of Jerome Valeska, they’d have to do better than intimidation tactics. 

“Tell me something, Muffet-”

“Madeline!”

“Arkham just opened a few months ago, how come you all seem so high and mighty about having been here?” Jerome finished. The woman pursed her lips, actually debating telling him the truth. He could see it in her set jaw, the way she eyed him suspiciously.

“We were all at Blackgate before this, where they stored everyone, even us crazy’s.” She sneered, looking him over. “They wouldn’t let us with the other inmates, so some of us were in isolation for a long time, soon they held us all together because they didn’t know where else to put us. You’re the first to join the band after we’ve been transfered. Which is bad for you, clown boy.”

Jerome scowled, his teeth ground against each other as he tried not to let it show how much the name irked him. The woman only laughed, high pitched and broken like her brain was likely to be. “Oh and why is that bad?”

“A lot of us are bad with new things.” She smirked, leaning over the table towards him. “Why do you think I killed my kids. Little bastards.”

Jerome narrowed his eyes, watching her fingers twitch lightly. The memory was physically moving in her head, he could see all the range of emotions crawl across her face, twitch every portion of her face. Soon, he was sure that if she spoke again, he might rip her to shreds. “I didn’t realize they let pathetic people in here.”

Muffet snarled. “You little shit, I will show you who’s pathetic!” She lunged across the table, only to stop at the sound of a baton against the table. Like a bullet going off, Jerome smirked widely. Muffet was dragged by two other guards towards the door, yanking and flinging herself in their arms.

He definitely preferred Dollface’s company to miss Muffet. Maybe it was his inner child in him crying, but he had a hatred of child abusers. 

“Valeska, come on, Lunch is up!” Jerome stood up on his feet, handing his trays to one of the guards and stepped out into the hall. Only to stop as he was met face to face with someone he’d only met once. 

“Warden Sharp.” Jerome smirked, looking up at the man with a wicked grin.

“Mr. Valeska… walk with me, would you?” Mr. Sharp was a taller man than Jerome, but the wide shoulders and glasses made the man look short, plus his lack of hair as well. Jerome let his fingers flow through his own mess of hair at the thought of losing it as they walked in silence down the hall. There was a guard atleast a foot behind them, which meant that Mr. Sharp wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t going to let an inmate get him. 

“Walks are nice.” Jerome teased, looking down the empty halls towards the cells where they were kept. They were not headed towards the isolation chambers, which made him suspicious as it was. But when they turned down the hall, Jerome gritted his teeth and clenched his hands, coming to a full stop as he did.

“You see, Mr. Valeska, nothing happens in my facility that I don’t know about.” Mr. Sharp growled, nodding to the two guards that held an unconscious Dollface. Like a limp rag in their arms, they pulled her up and taunt. Jerome could see the already bruising purple ring around her eye. 

“I didn’t do that.” Jerome hissed. 

“Oh, no, I did it.” Mr. Sharp snickered. Jerome’s eyes widened for a moment before he turned like a snake ready to strike. “but when she wakes up, I’m going to tell her you did it. And she’ll believe me, like she always does. She’ll have no choice but to believe me… with what the doctors have her on, she’s a malleable soul. Most likely, broken.”

Jerome reacted instantly, turning and lunging at the man, stopped only by the arms of a guard. Harsh pain shot through his body as he was held back and forced to look up at Mr. Sharp from the ground where they shoved him to kneel. 

“I need you to understand Valeska, that nothing happens in this asylum that I don’t know or direct. So, when I tell you to leave Baby alone, you will do as you’re told.” mr. Sharp smirked as he bent to be closer to Jerome’s face. 

Jerome’s lips curled into a broad smirk. “Aww, big daddy doesn’t want his little girl to be friends with bad ol’ Jerome.”

Sharp’s slap was more stinging than sharp pain, but it was all Jerome needed to fuel a bigger fire within him. Oh, he’d show them. He’d show them all… especially Sharp, what he was capable of. “Lock him down, he still has three days of isolation.”


	4. Chapter four

Chapter four:

Jerome paced the floor of his room, waiting ever so, ever not so, patiently to go to his meal. Dollface, that scum was going to lie to her. She had to know, he didn’t hurt her. She couldn’t be so drugged that she’d believe Warden Sharp. He was her father, he put her in here, she had to know he was lying. Crazy not stupid, Jerome hoped and raged about the thought that she might not know the truth.

“Valeska, lunch time.” He bounced, eager to explode out of his cell. Only to hault just outside the door when Warden Sharp stood down the hall. He was speaking with two men in suits, but his eyes instantly went to Jerome when he stepped out.

This man would be the first, outside of a few select special few, that would die when he was able. No one did this to him, or his things. Granted Dollface wasn’t truly his, but she was the only thing he had in this hellhole. The chill of Arkham ran down his spine, but he kept from shivering till he was closer to the bad kids box, and had his tray of slop in his hands. 

Arkham was cold and damp all the time, but certain areas were more than others. 

The doors opened and Jerome exhaled slowly as he saw Dollface and Old Geezer, sat at one table. They were … talking? Jerome eyed the two, Old Geezer was talking low and hushed, Jerome couldn’t hear. Then they both turned to look at him. Dollface sported a giant shiner on her right eye, a smaller, yellow tinted bruise on her cheek and busted lip. But there was gasoline, lit up in her eyes that burned hotter and longer than any fire Jerome had ever set. 

“You going to sit down or what, Jerome?” Old Geezer hissed. Jerome didn’t know how to smoothly approach the two, but he managed not to dork it up either. Settling on the bench next to Dollface, he looked her over. Then she smirked, her eyes trailing to his tray then back up to him, both their tray’s full. 

“Still not eating, I see.” Jerome put a sporkfull of mashed potatoes to her lips. She opened her mouth slowly, taking the spuds in slowly before sliding away from the spork.

“Shakey hands, steady stance, bodies react like machines to most things. But when you poison it, you rattle it, make it sick, make it quake. One then two, they fall down. It’s a killer.” She babbled for a bit before she looked at him again. Jerome had taken some of his own food before offering her some again. She took it slowly, keeping his eyes with her the whole time. 

“Go on, say it, she looks like shit! Little bitch got in trouble again and now they’re onto corporal punishment for her. Baby needs to grow up.” She whirled to face Old Geezer with narrowed eyes. 

“I did nothing.” She snarled lowly. Old Geezer and her kept the same sour, angry look at each other before Old Geezer broke it. His eyes rolling to the wall behind her, leaning back and relaxing in the bench again. 

Jerome leaned in closer to Dollface, watching her angry face fade to a soft one when she looked to him. “He lied to you.”

“Who? Geezer? He can’t lie, military cut his liar out of him. He’s just an ass.” She snorted, laughing lowly. Jerome actually broke into a hysterical laugh. She didn’t blame him, nor did she care. That’s all he needed. Jerome fell back into their routine, finishing their food together as she stared off into the walls.

“They up your pills?” Jerome asked as she smirked. Taking his offering of chicken tenders with a wide grin, she winked at him. “Oooh, you bad girl, you’re not taking them are you.”

Old Geezer huffed but said nothing as Jerome and Dollface shared a knowing glance. Then she turned from him. Putting both their trays stacked on the table before she lay her head down on the cool metal. “I have to take half.”

Jerome eyed her. “But which half are you taking?”

Dollface laughed, her head lulling back against the table as she let her trembling hands still next to Jerome. Then she reached out and he held still as she did. Her eyes were sharp for a few moments, just long enough to trail her knuckles across his cheek bones. Jerome’s grin couldn’t get much wider as she let her hands fall from his face. 

“I’m a good thespian.” She murmured. Jerome nearly fell off the bench as he laughed, holding his stomach. The look of pride in her eyes was beyond humorous. What took the cake was Old Geezer’s scowl into the abyss when she spoke it. They had to be careful what they said in here, the guards could hear anything louder than normal speech and Jerome was not about to be caught for more injustice than he already had.

“I bet you’re even better at other things.” Jerome murmured with a cheeky look in his eye.

“That’s it, if you two are going to keep talking crazy like this, I’m going to go throw myself out that window.” Old Geezer huffed.

“What window.” Dollface murmured, sitting up. “We don’t have windows here.”

“I will fucking find one!” Old Geezer snarled.

“See, that’s what I love about you Old Geezer. You’re so determined!” Jerome nearly wheezed he was laughing so hard. Dollface’s shoulder’s shook with laughter but she made no sound. Old Geezer rolled his eyes and stood up. Done with their childish speaking, Jerome guessed. Not that it mattered. He slid up closer to Dollface, watching her eyes slowly drift to him.

“So Sharp is your dad?” Jerome stated, point blank and to the point. Dollface eyed him before she rolled her eyes. 

“No… he’s my evil step father. Mom and daddy are gone, gone to the wind. Long gone. Dead and made into dust. He thinks he owns me, I am a dog with a leash and collar. But I’m nothing to him. Just a body bag with big eyes.” She babbled, closing her eyes and hissing as she touched her black eye. “Punching bag with drugs, bastard.”

“What he put you in here for?”

“He sent me to blackgate first. Some people just can’t hold their arsenic.” Jerome’s face lit up, realizing the reference all too quickly. She sent him a grin, before sitting up. Dollface reached out again, ever slow and careful, like she wasn’t sure if he’d explode when she did touch him. Jerome eased her pain, by shoving his face into her palm. The childish, excited grin on her face when she held his cheek, her fingers dancing over his skin was worth it. 

“What’d you really do?” He asked as her palm cupped his face slowly. 

“That’s a secret.” She whispered back, taking back her palm. 

“Like your name?” Jerome spoke, watching her as she stood up and clambered from the bench. 

“When pigs fly, Jerome.” She murmured his name again and again, reminding him of the first day they met. 

“I’ll make some pigs fly.” He called out after her. 

“WILL YOU TWO QUIT WITH THE STAR CROSSED BULLSHIT!” Old Geezer called out as Guards shackled Dollface at the doorway. She slumped down and assumed the drugged out of her mind position again. But Jerome knew better. She might be fighting against some of it, but he knew better. She was just waiting, biding her time like him. 

“I’m getting out of here.” Jerome called to Old Geezer.

“Ha! You go right on and try.” Old Geezer sneered. “You get out of here, I will personally suck your cock.”

Jerome’s grin was wicked as he caught Old Geezer’s challenging eyes. “Be careful you don’t like it too much.”


	5. Chapter fie

Chapter Five:

“Mr. Valeska… you’re being moved to public domain… collect your… pants.” The guard went to say possessions but Jerome had nothing to take with him to his new bunk. A bunk he’d be sharing with someone else. Another person to talk to, someone to befriend, someone to corrupt. Jerome grinned to himself as he scooped up his clothing and the pillow from the bed, figuring two pillows was a good bet. With those in arm, he followed the guard quickly towards the main block of the building. The public block. Jerome was almost buzzing, when they stopped at a doorway. The door was opened with the guard’s key card and he was eyed over by another guard before being let in. Jerome skipped after the guard now.

Finally, free air! He looked up and around the whole place, smiling widely as the guard grumbled to himself. Jerome stopped to nod and grin at a few people who were standing, meandering around the few open cells. Mostly everyone was below in the relax circle. It had tables, a few sketchy televisions, magazines, broken board games. Dollface would love it in here… or she probably did, once she was out of isolation. 

“Sionis, say hello to Jerome. Jerome, this is Richard Sionis. You two are bunk mates.” 

Jerome came around the corner and smirked at the middle aged man stretched out on the bed, reading a book and clearly not interested in Jerome in the slightest. Jerome threw his pillow onto the top bunk and clambered up, his clean laundry folded into the space between the wall and him. With a sigh of relief, he actually relaxed back. The guard held back for one more moment, then moved to walk away. 

Within seconds, Sionis was on his feet and snatched up Jerome. Jerome laughed, howled really as the man had Jerome flung from his bunk and onto the floor. Sionis eye-balled him suspiciously as Jerome howled harder at the hand on his throat. “Well, hi bunk buddy!” 

Sionis hissed darkly and let go of Jerome. “Look kid, no one cares that you’re new.”

“Obviously, you’re lying.” Jerome sneered as he put his elbows under him to look at Sionis with a wicked grin. “If you didn’t care, I’d still be on my bunk.”

Richard Sionis snarled, but instantly went frigid, even wide eyed, slowly backing off. 

“Now, now… seems some one is having fun adjusting to public life.” Warden Sharp stood at the door. Jerome scowled now, moving to a sitting position.

“Just working out a new, budding, relationship with my bunk-mate… warden.” Sionis cooed with a gravely smile. Jerome chuckle, hopping up and standing beside Richard Sionis. 

“Yeah, boys have to rough around a bit… it’s how we socialize.” Jerome spoke with a smooth texture of his voice, cocking a brow to the Warden. Surrounded by two guards, the man eyed Jerome with such disdain, but only turned and stalked away. The cell was silent for a few moments, Jerome could count them. 

Then Richard looked down at him and smirked. “What did you do to get on his bad side in five days, huh?”

“I’m fucking his daughter.” Jerome lied with a wicked grin. 

“Baby?!” Richard shot a look at Jerome. Then slowly, the man stood taller and grinned to himself. As if accepting Jerome, he ran his hand over his head and clicked his tongue against his teeth. “If you’re crazy enough to mess with Baby, then… god help you. Kid… we’re cool.”

Jerome flashed the man a wicked grin as Richard sunk down into his bunk, picking back up his book. “That’s all it took?” 

Jerome was more impressed that Dollface had such say in here. There was something to say about Dollface’s reputation as the warden’s daughter, but Richard was more impressed that Jerome was with her. Hopefully she didn’t mind the small rumor. He had a feeling she wouldn’t. 

“I’m not going to go into the small interactions I’ve had with Baby, but no one fucks with her. Those who do, never live to say so.” Richard spoke dryly over his book. “I’m trying to be a big fish in this pond, but even I know not to upset the little girl.”

“I heard about her last victim, she said she pulled out all their teeth and eyelashes.”

“Oh, then she didn’t tell you the best part. They called her a bad name, so she tortured them till they said they were sorry. So she cut off their tongue so they couldn’t spread lies again. They say the reason she’s in here is because she tortured and killed her own birth parents… among a few others. Baby is vicious, she may look cute and adorable, but she’s bat shit.”

Jerome stepped out to the doorway, his hands gripping the bars as he swung himself out into the hall, still standing in his cell. Enjoying the smell of human company. It was invigorating. Nothing like the circus, but still fantastic to his isolated nose. “I like that best about her.”

The Dollface he knew was adorable, whacked out of her mind, cute and shaky. He imagined in just a short amount of time, more accustomed to touching him, that she’d even be cuddly. The idea of curling around his blood thirsty friend was a comforting image. 

“I’m pretty vicious myself.” Jerome threw over his shoulder at Richard Sionis. 

“Oh? Really?” Richard snickered. “Go on, big shot… give us a show.”  
Jerome looked out, watching everyone move. Richard was right, it was his show time. Everyone saw him a raw meat, time to show them what he was worth. He was grade A beef, not some grade D chuck that could be devoured and spit out. 

Jerome moved across the hall, leapt up onto the bars and dove right into the pit like a regular acrobat on crack. If he wasn’t so excited, he’d be howling at his joke. Only, he rolled across a table, slid across the metal and finished it with him standing just after the table, hands on his hips.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… good evening. My name is Jerome.” He looked to the two males slouched around the table, obviously not impressed. “Does anyone have an issue with that?”

“Oh I do!” and those two males were up on their feet. Jerome had to be smart. He was half the size of them, and half the muscle, but he was twice the brains and twice the speed. So like the jack-rabbit he knew himself to be, he skid around the table, planting a kick to the first goons shin, sending him down. Jerome grabbed him by the head as it went down and firmly planted it to the bench, not once, but twice. 

Then he stood with a wicked grin, looking to the other male. The other male lunged over the table at Jerome who ducked to the ground and watched as the male dove straight into the other bench. Trapped between the bench and table, Jerome whipped around and just kicked his legs against the males skull till he was no longer wrestling to get free.

The whole room was silent as he stood up, proud of his show. Atleast it was a good one. No one would mess with him now! Jerome’s eyes caught movement to his right and saw Old Geezer, standing beside a table, a deep scowl on his lopsided face. The man sighed and motioned with his arm for Jerome to come over and he snickered. That was one bet won.

Jerome started over towards the table, only to stop when he heard clapping. Jerome’s head snapped up as he saw the most beautiful face he’d seen all day, smiling down at him. Dollface healed face, her shiner was no longer deep purple and her busted lip was healed. Her long hair trailed over her as she looked down at him. Two guards posted around her, itchy to jump if she moved suddenly. 

“Gus-Gus and Chester are bad at checkers anyway.” She grinned as she looked down at him. Everyone looked up at her as she stood back up, took back up her belongings and walked down the way towards her bunk. Jerome watched her walk away, everyone jumping out of the way as she did. 

“So, you weren’t lying, Valeska.” Sionis snorted, looking down the hallway towards Dollface then back down to where Jerome sat. 

“What can I say? I’m a charming individual.” Jerome smirked.  
“I will actually slit your throat, you little shit. Come sit your arrogant ass down… you’re dealing.” Old Geezer snarled. Jerome happily skipped over to the table, taking the deck of cards and began to shuffle them. It seemed… that he now had an invitation to the cool kids table.

Being in the open room was a welcome change to isolation.


End file.
